How Organizational Communication Shaped the Hearst Ranch
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HOW ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION SHAPED THE HEARST RANCH CONSERVATION EASEMENT A Thesis presented to the Faculty of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Agribusiness by Mo Tehrani March 2016 © 2016 Mo Tehrani ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP TITLE: How Organizational Communication Shaped the Hearst Ranch Conservation Easement AUTHOR: Mo Tehrani DATE SUBMITTED: March 2016 COMMITTEE CHAIR: Wayne Howard, Ph.D. Professor of Agribusiness COMMITTEE MEMBER: Xiaowei Cai, Ph.D. Professor of Agribusiness COMMITTEE MEMBER: Chris Clark, JD Lecturer of City & Regional Planning iii ABSTRACT How Organizational Communication Shaped the Hearst Ranch Conservation Easement Mo Tehrani The purpose of this study was to show how organizations involved with the Hearst Ranch Conservation Easement negotiations might have used the feedback loop characteristic of two-way Symmetrical communication theory to reach consensus on the Hearst Ranch Conservation Agreement. Conservation easements are complex situations and each has separate and distinct goals, constraints, compromises, funding mechanisms, and public values. This study analyzed public documents from seven different organizations that provided input in the public consultations regarding the Hearst Ranch Conservation Easement, which completed in 2005. This study concluded that one of the communication methods adopted during the Hearst Ranch Conservation Negotiation was Hunt and Grunig’s two-way symmetrical communication theory. Keywords: Hearst Ranch, conservation easement, symmetrical communications, stakeholder engagement, communication theories. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my advisor and project supervisor Dr. Wayne Howard for his assistance, input, expertise, and continued support on this project. Along with Dr. Howard, I would like to thank the other members of my thesis committee; Dr. Xiaowei Cai and Professor Chris Clark, JD, both of whom have been generous with their time, support as well as their knowledge and expertise. A special thanks to Dr. Kirk Sturm, for his encouragement, guidance, and strategy in successful completion of this study. I will remember his commitment to the cause and his faith in me. Additionally, I would like to thank both Dr. Eivis Qenani and Professor Steven Slezak for their support and heartfelt advice. I had the pleasure of working with many knowledgeable people on this project, I would like to thank; Steve Sinton, Director at the California Rangeland Trust and Martin Cepkauskas, Director at the Hearst Corporation for their participation, help, and expertise. I would also like to thank my family and friends who encouraged and supported me throughout the program. In particular, I would like to thank my parents, for their unwavering support and constant encouragement. I am forever indebted to them for all the support they provided me. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ...............................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1: Problem Statement ......................................................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................... 1 What Are Conservation Easements? .............................................. 3 Background ..................................................................................... 6 The Role of Communications ........................................................ 10 Purpose ......................................................................................... 10 Research Question ....................................................................... 12 Scope of the Study ........................................................................ 12 Definitions ..................................................................................... 13 Conservation Easement ........................................................ 13 Two-way Asymmetrical Communication ............................... 13 Two-way Symmetrical Communication ................................. 14 CHAPTER 2: Review of Literature ...................................................................... 15 Grunig and Hunt’s Communication Theory ................................... 15 Conservation Easements .............................................................. 18 California Public Policy .................................................................. 22 CHAPTER 3: Research Methods ....................................................................... 26 Qualitative Research ..................................................................... 26 Research Design ........................................................................... 27 Data Gathering .............................................................................. 28 Document Analysis ....................................................................... 28 Interviews ...................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 4: Data Results ................................................................................. 30 Hearst Ranch ................................................................................ 30 Rangeland Trust ............................................................................ 34 State of California .......................................................................... 35 Other Organizations ...................................................................... 37 Final Conservation Easement ....................................................... 37 CHAPTER 5: Findings and Recommendations .................................................. 39 vi Introduction ................................................................................... 39 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................... 39 Research Question ....................................................................... 40 Findings ........................................................................................ 40 Recommendations ........................................................................ 41 Limitations ..................................................................................... 42 Conclusion .................................................................................... 43 REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 45 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Common elements of a typical conservation easement, by landowner implications ..........................................................................2 2. Characteristics of public relation models, by purpose, nature of communication, nature of research, & where practiced ............................ 17 3. Key negotiation themes for opponents of the Hearst Ranch Conservation Easement ................................................................ 33 4. Key negotiation themes for the State of California regarding the Hearst Ranch Conservation Easement .............................. 36 5. Key negotiation themes for third parties regarding the Hearst Ranch Conservation Easement .................................................... 37 6. Key themes of the final Hearst Ranch Conservation Easement, by state agency ...................................................................... 38 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Map of the Hearst Ranch, San Simeon, California (QGIS Development Team, 2015) ......................................................... …7 2. Amount of conservation easements by year and acres (NCED, 2015) ............................................................................................8 3. Hearst Ranch Conservation Easement Overview (RRM Design Group, 2015) .......................................................................9 4. Millions of U.S. Acres protected by state and local land trusts, 2000-2010 (Land Trust Alliance, 2015) ..................................................................... 19 ix CHAPTER 1 Problem Statement Introduction In the United States, and particularly the State of California, conservation easements have been used for various permanent conservation intentions: from the protection of historical structures and extending to a variety of open spaces, from wetlands, scenic lands and endangered habitats to the relatively new practice of safeguarding farmland threatened by urbanization. Due to the natural resource value of cattle ranches, conservation easements are employed as means of defending the ranches’ inherent values (Loux & Havlick, 2011). Two types of organizations are qualified to hold easements: governmental and non-profit organizations. The predominant organizations are non-profit land trusts, which landowners perceive as more sympathetic and flexible rather than the more formal governmental organizations. It is important to note that nearly all conservation easements are generally negotiated on their own terms; but, in general, these agreements broadly share the same elements or attributes. A summary of the common elements of a typical conservation easement and the corresponding implications for the landowner are shown in Table 1. 1 Table 1 Common elements of a typical conservation easement, by landowner implications Easement